#MarketingTipMonday No. 110

Which is better:

See why our customers have given us over 1,500 5-star reviews!
or
See why our customers have given us a 4.6-star rating!

The second, and here’s why:

In the first scenario, we know the company has 1,500 5-star reviews, but they might also have 3,000 1-star reviews, bringing their average rating to 2.3 stars. Whomp whomp.

Plus, customers are skeptical of a 5-star rating.

Consider a restaurant with a 5-star rating and 30 reviews vs. another with a 4.2 star rating and 3,600 reviews. Which are you more likely to try?

Everyone knows that business owners make mistakes and some customers just can’t be satisfied. That perfect ranking doesn’t pass the smell test.

If you’re using reviews in your small business marketing — which you should; it’s a great use of social proof! — post your ranking averages. This is just one easy way to build trust with your audiences.